Q: Recently one of our new employees said that we were required by law to provide a half hour meal break. Is this true?

A: No. Wisconsin law actually states that unless the employee is under the age of 18, the employer is not required to provide ANY breaks. Still, most employers do to ensure a motivated, rested, attentive workforce. (Employees under the age of 18 may not work longer than 6 hours without a 30-minute meal break.)

Have questions for HR Q and A? Submit them to work@flexstaff.com.

Temptation Trivia

A real estate developer from Tukwila, Washington was the inspiration for the name of one of the most popular and recognizable video game characters ever created.

Name this real estate developer, and the company that created this well-known video game character.

If you know the answer, call or e-mail your local branch office by noon this Friday. One winner in each branch will be chosen at random from those that answered correctly, and that person will get treats delivered!

Last issue answer: Civil War Colonel John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886 as a substitute for morphine.

Gideon Bibles can be found in hotel rooms across the country, but few know of their Wisconsin origins. In the fall of 1898, two travelers spent the night in the Central Hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin.

The two men soon discovered that both were Christians, and they had the idea to band commercial travelers together "in service of the Lord". They formed the Gideons in 1899.

Since most of the Gideons in the early days of the organization were travelling men, they came up with the idea to furnish a Bible for every hotel room in the United States.

This plan, called "The Bible Project", started in 1908 when the first Bibles were placed in the rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. Since then, more than 1.8 billion Bibles have been distributed!

Celebrating over 40 Years of Staffing Excellence!

The New Health Care Imperative...

The Towers Watson/National Business Group tracks employers' strategies and practices on purchasing health insurance, and the results of their efforts to provide and manage health benefits for their workforce.

Their report, The New Health Care Imperative: Driving Performance, Connecting to Value, identifies the actions of high-

performing companies, as well as current trends in the health care benefit programs of U.S. employers with at least 1,000 employees. The survey was completed by 595 employers between November 2013 and January 2014. Respondents collectively employ 11.3 million full-time employees, have 7.8 million employees enrolled in their health care programs and represent all major industry sectors.

The survey found that almost all (95%) of the companies indicate that subsidizing health care coverage for active employees will be a very important part of their total rewards package in the period covering 2015 and beyond However, 94% of respondents expect employer-sponsored health care benefits to undergo either modest or major changes by 2018.

In addition, employee affordability issues are a growing challenge. Employees' share of premium costs increased nearly 7% in the last year, and out-of-pocket expenses also continue to increase, by nearly three percentage points over the last four years (from 15.9% to 18.7%). Total employee cost share, including premiums and out-of-pocket costs, has climbed from 34.4% in 2011 to 37% in 2014. Employees now pay more than $100 more per month than they did three years ago.

Wonderlic Testing Available

Resumes, references, and interviews are all good indicators of a candidate's suitability for employment, but they may not tell the whole story. How many times have we hired the "perfect" candidate, only to find out a short time later that they did not possess the intelligence, aptitude, or drive to do the job?

Pre-employment testing can help take some of the guesswork out of hiring. There are plenty of testing companies on the market, but only one has been around for nearly 80 years, and has a proven track record of predicting a candidate's success. Wonderlic!

For significantly less than the price of a typical online help wanted ad, Wonderlic Personality, Behavioral Risk, and Cognitive Ability tests can dramatically reduce hiring mistakes and costly turnover.

Call your local Flex-Staff office for more information.

One Minute Ideas

10 Quick Business Etiquette Tips for Getting Ahead

Dress for success: You've probably heard that in order to move up with a company, you need to dress for the position you seek rather than the one you currently hold. Believe it, because it's true.

Be on time: Arriving on time, or even early, shows your commitment and dedication to the company and your job. Walking in late shows a lack of interest and respect of your coworkers.

Respect everyone: You may think that you only need to be nice to your boss, but showing respect for your coworkers and those who work beneath you is a sign of respect that many managers expect.

Use proper cell phone etiquette: When you go into a meeting, put your phone on silent or turn it off. Avoid loud, personal conversations in the workplace. Your coworkers don't need to know all the details of your personal life.

Be friendly: When you meet new business associates, smile, make eye contact, and maintain a pleasant tone of voice. Don't forget to say, "Please," when asking for something and, "Thank you," afterward.

Avoid office gossip: Be aware that when people in the office gossip, the conversation doesn't stop at your level.

Offer a firm handshake: This is the time to show your confidence and friendliness.

Give your coworkers credit. No one likes an employee who steals ideas. You may get away with it for a while, but eventually, the bosses will catch on to your game, and your future with the company will be grim.

Be generous: Offer your assistance and knowledge when someone else needs it. After all, you are all on the same team, and when the company improves, everyone wins.

Recipe

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Inspirational Quote

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou